Analysis of the Portrayal of Female Characters in Chinese Science Fiction Films from the Feminist Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-170-8_14How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Chinese science fiction films; feminism; female characters

Abstract

With the films The Wandering Earth and The Wandering Earth 2 achieving both box office and reputation success, Chinese science fiction films are rising after a trial and development phase. Studies on Chinese science fiction films have also gained importance. However, there are gaps in the current research both in terms of the feminist perspective and the scope of the films analyzed. This paper briefly composed the history of Chinese science fiction films and selected nine representative films for analysis, and focused on the characterization and narrative function of female characters in those films. The problems of Chinese science fiction films in the portrayal of female characters are summarized. The study found that most female characters in Chinese science fiction films are male foils. In terms of characterization, female characters are based on traditional perceptions and stereotypical prejudices. Regarding narrative function, the ratio of male to female characters is disproportionate, and female characters are functional and marginalized. Chinese science fiction films lack the ability to portray female characters that fit the feminist perspective. It is also clear from this overall lack that the way Chinese science fiction films portray women has developed over time, showing a tendency to be free from the shackles of the male perspective.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Peiheng Su
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/31
TI  - Analysis of the Portrayal of Female Characters in Chinese Science Fiction Films from the Feminist Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the  2023 5th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 125
EP  - 135
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-170-8_14
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-170-8_14
ID  - Su2023
ER  -